Washington, DC–Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada released the following statement on the anniversary of the Iraq war.

“As we enter the fifth year of the war, the core question Americans should be asking themselves today is whether the Administration’s approach in Iraq has made America more secure. The answer is clearly no. By diverting attention from Al Qaeda and stretching our troops to the breaking point, the Iraq war has made America less safe, not more. After four years of failure in Iraq, the President’s only answer is to do more of the same. With the blessing of Senate Republicans, he’s committing more U.S. troops to an open-ended civil war. It’s a flawed policy, proven wrong by events on the ground. To succeed in Iraq, we must have a new direction. As General Petraeus, our top commander, has said, the war can only be won politically, and by forcing Iraq’s political factions to resolve their differences. Last week, Democrats tried to change the course of the war, and give our troops who have fought bravely the strategy they need to complete their mission. Even though our effort was blocked by Senate Republicans, we will not stop until they listen to the American people and change course in Iraq.”